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<title>Howl by vvitchering (Witchering)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27788041">Howl</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witchering/pseuds/vvitchering'>vvitchering (Witchering)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Witcher Prompt Ficlets [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Crying, Heavy Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Protective Eskel, Trauma, Witcher Trials</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 01:28:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27788041</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witchering/pseuds/vvitchering</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They’ve come to take Geralt away. They failed to kill him the first time and now they’re back to try again. The aftermath of the Trial of the Grasses leaves Eskel clinging to all he has left.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eskel/Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Witcher Prompt Ficlets [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921558</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Howl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p></p>
  <div class="">
    <p>Everything is too bright, too loud, too much. But he’s alive. He survived. And more importantly, so did Geralt. They went through the Trial of the Grasses at the same time and were at least given the small blessing of being able to recover together as well. Eskel feels raw all over; hollowed out and refilled with something that <em>burns</em>. He sweats and shivers with fever as his body slowly adapts to its new form and purpose. And he watches over Geralt, who no one expected to survive at all. </p>
  </div>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They put them in separate beds. That never stopped them when they were still human and it certainly doesn’t stop them now that they’re witchers. But now its Eskel sneaking into Geralt’s bed rather than the other way around. The smaller boy has only been awake once or twice since they were moved to the recovery rooms and he lays still and pale on the small bed like a corpse. Eskel’s newly enhanced hearing tells him Geralt’s heart still beats, though much more slowly now. It matches his own, a witcher’s slow regulated pulse pushing fresh mutagens throughout both their bodies. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He curls around Geralt in the too-small bed and takes comfort in the other boy’s warmth. He’s alive. He’ll recover. They made it. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It’s over. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It’s only their second day when the mages return for Geralt. Eskel growls at them, snaps his sharp new teeth, and tucks Geralt closer to himself. They want to take him away again. There’s only supposed to be one Trial of the Grasses and they both passed. Geralt is still so sick. They call him unusually resilient, a special case, worthy of further study. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They can’t take him again, he won’t let them. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>In the end, there isn’t a choice. There’s never been a choice, really, Eskel has been telling himself he could keep Geralt from harm if he tried hard enough. He could protect the other boy from as much pain and suffering as he could and when they were both witchers, strong enough to survive in the world, they could finally turn their backs on this place, this life, and choose for themselves. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>But they’ve come to take Geralt away. They failed to kill him the first time and now they’re back to try again.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>When Eskel successfully bites one of the mages, making her shriek in pain and lash out at him with a slap that he barely feels through his rage, they call for reinforcements. Another witcher, an older one, a stronger one, wrestles Eskel away from Geralt. He isn’t used to his new strength, still isn’t fully recovered, and he can’t break the older witcher’s hold on him. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He pleads with them to have mercy. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Geralt is so small, he barely survived this first time, please, leave him alone. Take me instead. </em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They carry Geralt away. Eskel howls. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The older witcher casts Axii and Eskel’s screams fade into whimpers as it takes effect. He’s placed back into his sick bed, immobile and barely conscious, but aware enough to know he’s failed again to protect his friend from destiny’s cruel hand. </p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>ANGST! Sorry about that :') I just wondered what that might have looked like. Also this is Neliel's fault for making me think about this in enough detail to write in the first place!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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